McDonald’s is the largest and most popular hamburger chain in the world. Its history begins with the McDonald’s Bar-B-Q restaurant opened in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernadino, California. In 1953, they started to franchise the restaurant throughout the United States and set the stage for phenomenal growth in the following decades. After expanding internationally in 1974, the brand with the two golden arches is present in 119 countries today and operates over 35,000 restaurants world-wide.

Introduced in 1968, McDonald’s signature product is the Big Mac. The double-stacked burger contains two 1.6 oz beef patties, cheese, Big Mac special sauce, lettuce, onions, and pickles. Since it’s offered in restaurants all over the globe, economists use its price as a gauge to estimate purchasing power in different countries. However, there are small differences in Big Mac recipes for international markets.

Other popular items are Chicken McNuggets, battered and deep fried pieces of processed chicken meat, and the chicken sandwich McChicken. McDonald’s also offers a breakfast menu with items like the Egg McMuffin.